Crystal Symphony, a cruise ship that was supposed to return to  Miami on Saturday, changed its course and sailed to the Bahamian island of Bimini instead after a US judge in Miami issued an arrest warrant for the ship on Thursday over unpaid fuel bills. According to the maritime practice, US Marshal goes aboard the vessel and takes charge of it once it enters US waters. 

Passengers were taken by ferry to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday.

“We all feel we were abducted by luxurious pirates!” passenger Stephen Heard Fales posted on Facebook.

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Several other passengers took to social media to say that they were surprised to find out about the legal case.

One guest posted a letter on Facebook from Crystal Cruises Management that said the change in the itinerary was due to “non-technical operational issues.”

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It was unclear how many passengers were aboard the cruise, with one news outlet reporting 300 and another, 700. The company’s website states that the vessel can carry up to 848 passengers.

A lawsuit was filed in a Miami federal court by Peninsula Petroleum Far East against the ship under a maritime procedure that allows actions against vessels for unpaid debts.

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The complaint says Crystal Symphony was chartered or managed by Crystal Cruises and Star Cruises, which are both sued for breach of contract for owing $4.6 million in fuel.

Earlier this week, Crystal Cruises announced that it was suspending operations through late April.

Besides Crystal Symphony, the company has two other ships currently cruising. While one will end its voyage on January 30 in Aruba, the other will end its journey on February 4 in Argentina.

“Suspending operations will provide Crystal’s management team with an opportunity to evaluate the current state of business and examine various options moving forward,” the company said in a statement earlier this week.

Inputs from The Associated Press